by Mary Bryan Fields

In order to create a catalyst for turning around the real estate market, the federal and state governments have approved unique tax incentives for 2009 home buyers.  As the market is already turning around, with inventories shrinking and prices stabilizing, these incentives may not be extended upon expiration. This opportunity may never come again!

iStock_000005123730XSmallFederal Tax Credit:
If you purchase a home for $80,000 or more, you will receive a credit of $8,000 toward your federal income tax liability.  (If the home costs less than $80,000, your credit is 10% of the purchase price.)  You must purchase a principal residence (owner-occupied home) between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009; your income cannot exceed $75,000 single or $150,000 married filing jointly.  If you have not had any ownership interest in a home in the 3 years previous to the day of your purchase, you qualify.  Every dollar of the credit reduces the income tax you owe by one dollar.  For example, if you owe $10,000 and you qualify for the full credit, you will only owe $2,000.  If you only owed $5,000, you will receive a check for $3,000.  You do not have to pay this money back.  You do not have to make an application for the money; simply claim your credit on your form 1040.

Georgia Tax Credit:
All purchasers (filing a Georgia tax return) of a single family residence (including condominium residences) located in Georgia that was listed for sale prior to May 11, 2009, may claim a credit for 1.2% of the purchase price, with a maximum credit of $1,800.  You may combine your state and federal credits, if you qualify for both.  You must purchase the home by November 30, 2009.  Your credit will be applied to three (or more) tax years, 1/3 of the full credit amount in each year.  You may live in the home as your permanent residence, or you may use the credit toward a vacation/second home… even an investment property.  You may claim the credit regardless of your income!

Enjoy all the advantages of owning real estate and get cash back!

The July issue of Southern Accents contains a brief feature of St. Simons Island and Sea Island. In an article entitled “A Summer of Savings at the Beach,” Hodnett Cooper and the Cloister were selected as the accommodations providers of choice. The article includes a photograph of Coast Cottage Lane and the new Sea Island Beach Club.

View the complete article online here: http://tinyurl.com/l2jzqb

by Guerry Norwood

The St. Simons Island Gateway project will change the way motorists enter and exit the island. The overall goal of the Gateway project is to improve the flow of traffic on and off St. Simons Island. It is the solitary land access point for the island. For a number of years this intersection and its immediate vicinity have experienced traffic backups and delays. The second of three major island intersections slated by the Board of Commissioners for modification, the Gateway project will turn the triangular group of roads–Sea Island Road, Kings Way and Demere Road–into a one-way loop. This loop will create a continuous movement for motorists in some areas and will significantly reduce the number of movements experienced at the traffic signal located at Demere Road and Sea Island Road.

Starting Sunday July 5th 2009, all traffic going onto the island will veer right, onto Kings Way, instead of being able to continue east on Demere Road. Traffic leaving the island will have one-way use of Demere from Sea Island Road to the F.J. Torras Causeway. The Gateway ultimately will be a loop among Kings Way, Sea Island and Demere roads – think of it as a giant traffic circle – that will be fully completed in November. Sunday marks the beginning of the second phase of the project, and the first time that some roads will become one-way only.

The change Sunday will affect traffic in four zones:

1. ENTERING THE ISLAND

All traffic entering St. Simons Island will veer right onto Kings Way, which is now two lanes wide. Drivers heading for the Village should stay in the right lane, to continue on Kings Way. Drivers aiming for northbound Sea Island Road or eastbound Demere Road must use the left lane.

2. THE SEA ISLAND ROAD LOOP LAND

After vehicles headed for the Village split off and continue southeast, as previously, on Kings Way, other drivers will use the Sea Island loop lane to connect to Sea Island Road, which will be one way northbound, between Kings Way and Demere Road. The loop is two lanes wide. Both drivers headed for the north end of the island via Sea Island Road and those who want to travel east on Demere Road will use the loop.

3. MERGING FROM THE LOOP LANE ONTO SEA ISLAND ROAD

The loop lane joins Sea Island Road so that drivers will merge with traffic already on the road, coming from the direction of the Village. Once on Sea Island Road, traffic can turn left, or west, to reach the causeway, continue north on Sea Island, or turn right, or east, onto Demere Road.

4. THE INTERSECTION OF SEA ISLAND AND DEMERE ROADS

Timing of the traffic lights at the intersection of Demere and Sea Island roads will be adjusted Sunday morning to account for the new traffic pattern. Vehicles traveling south on Sea Island Road, or away from Epworth by the Sea, will no longer be able to continue beyond the intersection with Demere, as the section of Sea Island Road between Kings Way and Demere will be one-way northbound. County engineer Bruner recommends that motorists who had previously used Sea Island Road to connect with Kings Way to travel to the Island Club at Retreat or the Village, instead, turn left, or eastbound, onto Demere and use the roundabout at Demere and Frederica roads, avoiding the Gateway altogether until it is completed. When it is done, it will be an easy step to enter the Gateway via the Kings Way loop lane that will distribute westbound traffic on Demere Road onto Kings Way, allowing it to again use Kings Way to reach the Island Club or the Village.

Gateway 2

Sean Kasper, of Hodnett Cooper Commercial,  knew Premier Martial Arts would enjoy additional success in a central location. With a myriad of commercial properties in their portfolio, Sean was able to create the perfect partnership between Premier Martial Arts and Vitor Toniolo’s Mandevilla building on Shopper’s Way. Premier Martial Arts signed a five-year lease for 4800 square feet that Vitor will build to their specifications.

Sean Kasper explains Hodnett Cooper Commercial’s philosophy as, “our team aims to form long term real estate business partnerships with local business owners as we guide them through the intricacies of the commercial sales and leasing process. We know where the opportunities are and present them to the businesses that would benefit greatly from them.”

Premier Martial Arts’ new studio is located at 123-127 Shoppers Way, Brunswick, GA 31525.

iStock_000001913448XSmallWelcome. We’re glad you’re here!! Our community is full of Coastal Patriotic celebration today. The St. Simons Island Village Area is bustling with activity. From the arts and crafts show in the park, to the evenings fireworks display, there is plenty to do at the pier. Be sure to check out the sidewalk sales in Redfern Village and the Shops at Sea Island for great deals on clothing, collectibles, gifts, and other souvenirs. In Brunswick, the Historic Downtown Waterfront is celebrating, too! Fireworks will be held in Mary Ross Waterfront Park at dusk. On Jekyll Island, the festivities continue. The beach is definitely the place to be. Fireworks begin just after dark. And, if you find the perfect spot, you can typically watch all three displays. Enjoy the holiday.

JMM Transformers (1) Poster

JMM Productions, in conjunction with Hodnett Cooper, proudly brings you Transformers this weekend in Neptune Park. This action packed movie will be displayed on a 36 foot wide by 25 foot high outdoor screen.

The movie begins at dusk on Friday, July 3. This is a fabulous, free, community event! Bring blankets, chairs, and as many friends and family as you like. We’ll see you there.

July 3, 2009 from 5 pm to 8 pm. Free!!

Enjoy music, light snacks and wine, and more in Downtown Brunswick, Georgia this weekend. Galleries and shops will be open late. Live music will be played in the park, as well as up and down Newcastle and Gloucester Streets. Great, free, community event.

by Lisa Anderson

Things have really gotten exciting around here at Grant’s Ferry Cove this summer!  Our clubhouse and model are complete and both have been beautifully decorated by Robert Grayson of Robert Grayson Interiors, Miami Circle, Atlanta.  As you can see by a sampling of the photographs, Robert has chosen a coastal theme with cool earthy hues.  The atmosphere in the clubhouse and model both would be casual elegance.

Our tennis courts, lake and swimming pool are in and ready to be enjoyed.  The landscape and even the mail kiosk are complete.  Our sales and information center is open in the clubhouse, and you will find us available from 10-4 Monday through Saturday, Sunday by appointment.  Please stop in and ask us to give you a tour of the model, site map and design center.  Be sure to ask us about our furnished model package!

We chose the River Birch floorplan for the model, which features two masters on the main level with a third bedroom and bath upstairs, along with a loft overlooking the keeping room.  We have broken ground on our Bay Laurel and Red Cedar floorplans and you will be able to view those on site soon.  Until then, our design center is filled with information about each plan and all of your finishes to choose from including cabinets, countertops, tile and flooring.

On Saturday, June 27, the Sea Palms Golf Resort is hosting a charity golf tournament to benefit Hospice of the Golden Isles. Members of the Hodnett Cooper team playing in the scramble include: Kris Maichle – General Manager Vacation Rentals, Robert Barnard – St. Simons Beach Club Property Manager, and Ron Ako – Sea Gate Inn Manager. 

Hospice of the Golden Isles is a not-for-profit, full-service organization that provides palliative end-of-life care, caregiver support and bereavement services. In the celebration of the worth of each life, the hospice staff strives to relieve suffering, enhance comfort, promote quality of life, foster choice in end-of-life care and support effective grieving.


by Guerry Norwood

A small park located at 15th Street and Bruce Drive provides a great view of the best birding spot on the island, recognized by its selection to the Colonial Coast Birding Trail. This inlet separates East Beach, a Holocene fragment of St. Simons south of the inlet, from Sea Island to the north.

 

The bar and inlet are good examples of Georgia’s barrier island-estuarine interface. The inlet and sand bars are constantly moving, changing shape, preventing vegetation from becoming established, and creating a resting place for many species of birds, as well as a feeding site for certain species. Resident birds seen here include laughing and herring gulls, willets, American oystercatchers, black skimmers, brown pelicans, black skimmers, and royal terns.

 

During warm weather, including fall and spring migration periods, bird watchers may identify black, sandwich, gull-billed, common, and Caspian terns; black-bellied, semi-palmated, and Wilson’s plovers; reddish egrets, marbled godwits, whimbrels, ruddy turnstones, sanderlings, red knots, and western sandpipers. Cold-weather birds include black-bellied and piping plovers; black-backed, and ring-billed gulls; Caspian and Forster’s terns; red-backed dunlins; and red-breasted mergansers. 

 

As the southern part of Sea Island has grown, the northern end of East Beach has lost 1,640 feet of land since the Civil War, according to Schoettle. As you walk or bike south on East Beach toward Coast Guard beach, the homes fall away from the shore, due to the growth of the beach since 1930. These homes used to be beachfront property. They still are, but they are located much farther from the water. 

 

Fishermen sometimes try their luck on Gould’s Inlet Dock, where tidal pulses attract many species of fish and other marine animals.

 

Directions: From Brunswick, cross F.J. Torras Causeway. Go left on Demere Road to East Beach Causeway. After crossing causeway, go left on Ocean Boulevard. Turn right at 15th Street and Gould’s Inlet Park is straight ahead.